India Ranks 131 on Press Freedom Index
In Afghanistan and Pakistan violence remained the main concern for journalists, who were under constant threat from the Taliban, separatist movements and political groups, etc. Further, with 10 deaths in 2011, Pakistan was the world’s deadliest country for journalists for the second year in a row, as per RWB.
The index is based on a questionnaire that asks about every kind of violation directly affecting journalists (including murders, imprisonment, physical attacks and threats) and news media (censorship, confiscation of newspaper issues, searches and harassment). It also assesses the level of self-censorship in each country and the ability of the media to investigate and criticize. Financial pressure is also measured and included into the final score.
It further takes account of the legal framework for the media (including penalties for press offences, the existence of a state monopoly for certain kinds of media and how the media are regulated) and the level of independence of the public media. It also revealed violation of the free flow of data on the internet. The index however should in no way be taken as an indication of the quality of the media in the countries concerned.
